Game missile



J. M. EDMUND. 2,509,087

GAME MIssILE.

May 23, 1950 Filed Feb. 28, 1946 S11/UWM J/Mas lVLEnMuND @$45, Wwf

' @www Patented May 23, 1950 UNITED STATES ICE Y MISSIL James M. Edmund,Takoma Park, Md. .Application February 28, 1'916,"Serial No. 650,897lall's. (Cl 273-1458) This invention relates to balls and comparablearticles used as missiles in playing badminton and other games. n

iIt is an object of the inventionzso to forman article of this kindthat, after being struck Vby a racquet, bat, or club, or otherwisepropelled, it will decrease in speed in flight at a rapid rate.

Another object is to provide an article possessing those properties thatcan be made economically and with facility.

More specically, the article of this invention has stiif or bristle-likefibers, filaments, or strands, which extend individually and separately.beyond its core or body and give to the article aerodynamiccharacteristics, which diminish its speed in flight.

Further, the extending strands are disposed with respect to one anotherin such manner that they give high resistance to the air while in motiontherein.

Moreover, the strands are so disposed with respect to the body of thearticle that they are not liable to be broken or rapidly worn by thepropellant by which it is struck.

When considered with the description herein, characteristics of theinvention are apparent in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof,wherein an adaptation of the invention in an article having asubstantially spherical body is disclosed for purpose of explanation.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding parts in the views ofthe drawing, of which- Fig. 1 is a view in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a diametrical sectional view;

Fig. 3 is a View of a strand assembly before application to the outsideof the body.

The article comprises a central body 5, which usually is spherical, andstiif strands 6 xed to and extending beyond the surface of the body.

The body may be of cork, relatively hard plastic material, resilientmaterial such as natural or synthetic rubber, or other suitablematerial. It may be a solid mass or may be hollow and of characteristicssimilar to those of a tennis ball. The desirable features of the bodydepend largely upon requirements for the game in which the article is tobe used.

Animal bristles or rather stiff hair, comparably stiff vegetablestrands, or artificial strands of equivalent resistance to bending maybe used as the aerodynamic elements of the article.

The strands are sufficiently long to extend individually considerabledistances from the body. They are spaced from one another in projectingportions, and they do not rely upon one another to maintaintheir normal:prot'ub'erance :from the body. Thelengthof the'strandsfordlnarily exaceeds-vthe diameter Aofthe body. :The strands, individually disposed inseparated relatiom give to the article greater resistance to the air inight than one with smooth, slightly rough, matted, or compacted libersurfaces.

The strands extend from the body in directions other than radial; thatis, they are disposed in angular lines having their vertices eccentricof the body. This inclined disposition of the strands may be tangentialto the surface of the body, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. In all of thesedispositions of the strands with respect to the body, the strands aresecant to radial lines of the body; that is, they do not intersect thecenter of the body. This disposition of the strands increases theaerodynamic resistance properties of the article.

Moreover, as the strands are disposed tangentially to the body orapproximately so, they will not be bent considerably at their places ofdeparture from the body by blows of propellants,

and thus they are not liable to be broken atk those places.

As a result, the article wears longer than one having radially disposedstrands. In addition, the article, in long use, does not become mattedor cluttered with broken strands.

The strands may be mounted on the body in dispositions such ashereinbefore described in any suitable manner and by any suitable means;for example:

Strands 6, of approximately twice the length required for their desiredextension from the body, are secured by adhesive in spacedsubstantiallyparallel relation across and about midway of their length, to anelongated iiexible member of sheet material, such as tape 1, atacute'ar'gles thereto, as seen in Fig. 3, or perpendicular thereto. Thestrip/1 ordinarily is of the length required to circuinscribe the body.

Several strand assemblies are wrapped around the body in overlappingintersecting lines, with the strands under the tapes and directlyagainst the body surface. When the body is spherical, the wrappingpreferably is substantially in greatcircle lines.

The strand assemblies are secured to the body by adhesive applied to thetapes, which are pressed against the body firmly while being wrappedtherearound. Application of the strand assemblies may be done by layingthem, adhesive side up, on a firm surface, and by rolling the body alongand pressing it against the tapes.

Strand assemblies also may be made by similarLv attaching strands topieces of exible sheet material of other shapes and similarly securingthem to the body.

Strand assemblies may be made in quantities and kept in stock, andadhesive applied thereto as they are about to be mounted on the body, orthey may be made `iust before application to the body and the sameadhesive that secures the strands to the flexible material used, whilestill moist or soft, to secure the assemblies to the body.

The strands as thus mounted on the body have disposition tangential tothe surface thereof.

I claim:

1. A game missile comprising a ball and a strand assembly secured tosaid ball, said strand assembly consisting of a tape wrapped around theball adjacent a great circle of the ball and a plurality of closelyspaced relatively stiff strands arranged crosswise of said tape, saidstrands being located between the tape and the ball, whereby the strandsextend approximately tangential to the ball.

l2.l A 'game missile comprising a ball and a plurality of strandassemblies wrapped around the ball in overlapping intersectingrelationship, each strand assembly consisting of a piece of tape and akplurality of relatively stiff strands arranged crosswise of the saidpiece of tape, said strands being located between the tape and the ball,so that the strands are disposed approximately tan-"- gentially to thesurface of the ball.

JAMES M. EDMUND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,580,230 Brereton Apr. 13, 19261,617,243 Flanagan Feb. 8, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date8,246 Australia July 27, 1933 of 1932 516,638 Great Britain J an. 8,1940

